Revised Form 990: A Line-by-Line Preparation Guide

A line-by-line preparation guide to the completely new and revised Form 990 for nonprofit organizations

The accurate and complete preparation of Form 990—the information return that must be filed annually by most types of tax-exempt organizations—is a key factor in maintaining public image and fundraising capabilities. The newly redesigned Form 990 was released in December 2008 with significant revisions to the initial June 2007 draft. Preparation of the new return will require tax-exempt organizations to gather extensive new information about their activities for disclosure on the new form beginning with their 2008 tax year.

In Revised Form 990: A Line-by-Line Preparation Guide, authors Jody Blazek—who with other AICPA Task Force members was instrumental in effecting changes to the original IRS draft of the form—and Amanda Adams, provide step-by-step and line-by- ine analysis and preparation guidelines for nonprofit professionals and nonprofessionals alike charged with preparing and submitting the form.

This hands-on workbook walks you through the process of producing an annual report to the IRS that demonstrates continued qualification for exempt status for a nonprofit organization, explaining the information requested page by page and part by part. It addresses the issues and challenges for each part, particularly the new schedules. As each part is explained, the authors suggest when certain answers have negative consequences. Guidance is provided for functional expense reporting and generally accepted accounting principles for reporting revenues. A good discussion of the differences between book and tax reporting and records needed to accurately display financials for tax purposes is included. The Form 990-PF and Form 990-T are also examined.

JODY BLAZEK is a partner in Blazek & Vetterling, a CPA firm focusing on tax and financial planning for exempt organizations and the individuals who create, fund, and work with them. BV serves over 400 nonprofit organizations providing financial reports and tax compliance and planning services. She is the author of six books in the Wiley Nonprofit Series: Nonprofit Financial Planning Made Easy; IRS Form 1023 Preparation Guide; IRS Form 990 Tax Preparation Guide for Nonprofits; Tax Planning and Compliance for Tax-Exempt Organizations, Fourth Edition; Private Foundations: Tax Law and Compliance, Third Edition; and The Legal Answer Book for Private Foundations, the latter two volumes coauthored with Bruce R. Hopkins.

AMANDA ADAMS is a tax manager at Blazek & Vetterling with extensive experience in public charities and also private foundation tax matters through her work with Foundation Source. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Houston Chapter of CPAs.